So I get to work at around 7:30 am. And at around 8:30 am, I got an
incredible pain in my chest. It doubled me over. But it didn't seem to just be
in my chest, it seemed to stretch thru my entire torso (stretch doesn't seem
accurate when describing my short little torso). And then I couldn't breathe
very well, then my face got really hot, and tingly (usually the sign of an
allergic reaction, or the start of one), and then I jumped up to go to the
bathroom, just to look in case it was. On the way, I looked down at my hands,
and they were splotchy, and the splotches were bright red. So I looked down at
my chest-same thing. Grabbed my suit jacket off, and my arms were like that too.
Got into the bathroom, and my face was an abnormal shade of red-kinda like a
fire truck. The breathing was getting worse, so I went and told my boss I
thought I needed to go to the hospital. I was pretty sure I couldn't drive
myself. So someone drove me.
I got there and I got benadryl, steroids, an ekg, an x-ray, and a breathing
treatment. Oh and two days off from work. Whatever it was, caused a severe
allergic reaction, and sparked an asthma attack. The EKG was normal (but I did
lose some leg hair when he pulled the sticky things off. Although that is really
my fault-I haven't felt the need to shave them since my husband has been on the
injured list and I ain't gettin' any), and the x-ray must've been normal too. So
I guess I am not gonna die. Heidi and Kaitlin came and endured my stay with me.
And watched me start to feel the effects of the benadryl (I have such LOW
tolerance), as I was already starting to get loopy. Sleepy more than anything.
And a little out of it. I don't think the steroids do that to me. They make my
skin feel like it's jumping though. They made fun of me. A lot. They thought it
was funny when the medical professionals were telling me to shut up. The EKG guy
told me to lie still, and I whispered something to Heidi and he whispered back
to me, "You can't talk!" I thought Heidi was gonna pee. Then when the
respiratory lady came in to give me my breathing treatment, I had to put the
wand or whatever in my mouth, and I couldn't talk thru it either. And Heidi was
pretending she couldn't read my sign language. And eventually, I caved. I had to
talk.
I called my boss, let her know what was happening, made sure my things were
okay at my desk, and that my car would be okay in the garage until wednesday.
And I asked her if there were cleaning people in the building over the weekend,
or something. She told me she had a good idea of what caused my reaction, and
that she had been smelling something thru the entire building, and that it had
been bothering her nose. And she put my reaction together with this smell, and
her reaction, and she wanted to see if I could get someone to bring my doctor's
note/discharge papers to the office. She wanted to use it to back up what she
thinks the cause might be. She wouldn't tell me what it was, I guess because she
wanted to make sure first, but I am curious if they find that whatever caused my
reaction is in the building, shouldn't they be responsible for my mandatory time
off AND my medical bills? I love my job, so I definitely wouldn't push the
issue, but I am worried about what it will cost me after all the stuff they did
today, even though I do have insurance. And using my sick time is not my idea of
a good time. Especially if whatever it was came from there. Although there just
is no way to prove that....Dang it.
Okay, well here is a pic of me unable to keep my mouth shut even thru a
breathing treatment. I figured there are several of you who will enjoy it, lol.